Mindfulness and Listening to Music
While driving, I probably listen to music like most of you. I choose a playlist that I fancy at that moment and then forward songs until I get to the one I like. This leads to half the journey being spent in choosing the right music. At the end of it all, I am exhausted - hardly what I intended!
The other day, I decided to try a different approach. I just shuffled all my songs in my library and let all the songs play - one at a time. I have an eclectic collection of music across multiple genres and languages. First in was a rap song that I would normally fast forward but I decided to listen to. It actually felt good. Although I couldn't figure out most of the lyrics, the beats felt good. Then came a Bollywood pop song. I have listened to this one a thousand times. My fingers almost reached the forward button. However, I refrained. I let the song play and forced myself to hum along. The song felt surprisingly fresh. I actually listened to the lyrics. There was indeed good poetry in it! Another 3 minutes passed without me realizing it. I felt at peace. Next was another pop beat from the 90s (Culture Club, anyone?) Haven’t heard it in a while. Didn’t really want to hear it. However, I didn’t skip it. I let it play. The soothing music let itself into my heart. Never felt so good.
I continued this for my 30-minutes drive and at the end of it, I had mindfully listened to a variety of songs and music. I did not critique the songs. I did not rush to get to my favorite song and I did not fidget with the audio controls. I was in the moment and at peace.
That’s mindfulness at play. Everything is just another thing and there is nothing to interpret. You enjoy things at its purest without a cloud of rational thinking and worry.
As a coach, I recommend micro-mindfulness to my clients. Micro-mindfulness is spending not more than 30 seconds of mindfulness multiple times throughout the day. What do you do during these 30 seconds? NOTHING. For 30 seconds, shut down all interpretations and chatter in the mind. Just feel the sensation of touch, smell, sight and sound. If you notice a thought in your mind, just observe the thought. If you're holding a cup, feel the heaviness of the cup and the warmth of the drink in it. If you are seated, feel the pressure on the seat. If you are outside, smell the fresh breeze of spring or even the stench of waste. Everything is the same and nothing is good or bad. Things are exactly the way they need to be at that moment. There is no “what should be” and “what is”.
Micro-mindfulness will help you create your own oasis amidst the chatter of life’s turmoil. An oasis that you can retreat to anytime during your working day. It'll rejuvenate you every single time. It's like taking a retreat multiple times during the day. It'll relieve your stress of a meeting that you're about to get into or just got out of. That deadline that's worrying you. It's won't feel as bad. When done over a period of time, you'll feel more in control of your thoughts and how you perceive the world around you. Who wouldn't want to do that?
You owe it to yourself to try it!